Attraction at first Sight
by KingsNeverDie100
Summary: Very short. Prequel to a story I'm planning to write. Might not make a lot of sense. I wrote it mostly for my own sake, to keep track of things and introduce the character to myself, sort of. All will be explained in the sequel. Ardeth/OC
1. Chapter 1

It's astonishing how a place normally so excruciatingly warm during the day could be so incredibly freezing at night. The sand below one's feet felt more like snow, and you were in a lot of trouble if you had only packed clothes that were good for the daytime weather. With the clear skies above showing of the stars and the movement of the dunes, it sometimes felt like you were in ocean instead of the desert. Luckily, there was no need for her to be out there right now.

Shawna was moving slowly to the rhythm of the music. There was no need to hurry and the melody was soft and pleasant. Both her hips and her shoulders were making circle movements while her head swayed from side to side, making her hair swing gently across her back.

She liked it in here. It was nice and warm and she got to do one of the things she loved the most: to dance. The establishment was very fancy and only meant for the upper class, but lately it seemed they had been letting in anyone with money. The evidence of that was a small, skinny man sitting as close to the stage as he could get, watching her every motion. She was used to looks like that by now and simply ignored him.

The music began to pick up its pace. She moved faster, making her skirt flow as she spun and showed of her long legs to the crowd. Their howling was drowned out by the sound of the bells on her wrists and ankles, chiming as she moved faster and faster. The belt made out of golden coins that graced her hips were also jingling loudly. She could barely here the music anymore, but it didn't matter: she was making her own.

When the show was over she curtsied to the crowd of bawling men and headed back behind the stage. They were only there to see half naked women, but she didn't care. She was there to dance, to earn money and to receive news from the outside world.

She was just about to get undressed when there was a knock on her door. As far as she knew she wasn't expecting anybody. She opened it just a crack to find the pale man outside, the one who had been sitting so close to her in the crowd.

"Can I help you?" she asked in English. It wasn't her first language, but it was the one most people spoke in this place, so she didn't take any chances.

"Maybe." His voice was as thin as he himself was. "May I step inside for a moment so we can talk privately?"

She hesitated. Strange men had tried to get into her dressing room before, it was no uncommon thing in a place like this. Luckily none had succeeded.

"I can pay you," he said quickly when he saw her hesitation. He got out a small sack of coins and waved it in front of her face. It didn't look like much, but she wasn't one to pass on an opportunity. Besides, he looked like she could easily take him on.

"I hope you are not expecting another dance," she said when opened the door for him and snatched the bag of coins. "That ends when I get off the stage."

"I just want to talk," he assured. He was fidgeting with his hands, shifting from one foot to the other, eyes never staying on one spot. His nervous behaviour was making her slightly stressed.

"What is your name?" She spoke softly, trying to calm him down.

"Beni Gabor."

"Well, Beni Gabor, have a seat and tell me what I can do for you."

He sat on the edge of the one of the two chairs that were in the small room, while she took the other one. Even now he wouldn't be still, but he did seem a bit calmer. She nodded to him, indicating that he was allowed to speak.

"Are you who I think you are?" It was barely a whisper. "Are you one of the Akkadians?"

She sighted. Every now and then someone would find them, thinking themselves great adventurers for crossing the desert and finding a people who had lived there for thousands of years. People thought they would go down in history, but were always disappointed- especially when they found out that the Akkadians weren't isolated too just one place, but often wandered far away from their home. There were many of them in Cairo, where she also currently was. However, she was easier than the others to identify.

Beni just confirmed her suspicion that he knew who she was. "Are you the Sand Woman?"

There it was. The Akkadians were easy to recognize thanks to the tattoos that covered their bodies. Shawna had beautiful swirls going down her arms, and she also had religious signs across her back, but what set her apart was the colour of her hair and eyes. They were both the colour of sand.

She was born and raised in Egypt and so were her parents, and they both had black hair and dark brown eyes. There was a story behind how she got her name, a story that people had speculated about for many years. Some of the theories were actually true, while some were just plain ridicules. The truth about it was something she did not fancy sharing with a complete stranger. She didn't even like people knowing about her existence, or that of her people.

"I am her. What do you want?"

For the first time since he entered her room Beni smiled. "I have an offer to you. I'm leading an expedition to a certain place, but it is a very long time since I was there myself and I am ashamed to admit that I have forgotten the exact way. Your people know the desert better than anyone. If you could lead us there and keep us safe from any danger we might face you will be greatly rewarded."

She thought it foolish of him to lead an expedition to a place which he did not know the way to, but he looked like the type of person who'd do anything for money. She wasn't much better herself. The money the Akkadians made all went to buying supplies while they were in town; things that would be needed in their settlement. They lived many days away from any city, so they needed a lot of supplies of every kind. Depending on how much this mission gave, she might be able to provide for her people for a long time.

"How great is the reward exactly?" she asked curiously.

He leaned forward, as if worried that someone might hear them. "Immeasurable, for the place that we seek is Hamunaptra."

Shawna gasped, her eyes wide. Hamunaptra, the cursed city. Few who dared enter that place came back alive and if they did they were far from who they'd been when they left. Had this Beni been there? Most likely, going by how nervous he was about everything.

"Are you afraid, my lady"? he mocked. "And here I thought Akkadians were the bravest warriors in the world. But I suppose you can only expect so much from a dancing girl."

His laughter was caught in his throat when her hand shot up as quickly as a snake to grip it tightly. She made her hand heat up to pain him further, and it would no doubt leave a burn mark on his throat. "Do not insult me, little man. Akkadians fear nothing. You know what they call me, but do you know why?" He couldn't answer her- he could barely breathe- but he did his best to shake his head. "No you don't, do you? I'm not going to tell you. But I will say this: I have look death in the eye, I stared back at him and I spit in his face. I will lead you to Hamunaptra and I will have the reward, but know that my word is the law. You do what I say, or you die. Do you understand?"

When she let go of his neck he enthusiastically nodded his head at the same time as he was trying to get his breath back. She placed a pen and paper in his hand.

"You won't be able to speak for a while. Write down where we meet and when we leave, and get out."

He hastily did what she said and stumbled out of her dressing room.

She sighted deeply. She shouldn't have done that. Doing something out of anger is never good, especially not something as risky as this. But her people needed the money and that which it would give. The treasures of Hamunaptra could provide for them for several generations to come. It was a risk she would have to take.

Shawna was confident that her gods and protector wouldn't let any harm come to her. They never had before and they didn't have a reason to start now.


	2. Chapter 2

This boat trip was boring. Shawna had a lot of patience, but there were only so many leering looks and crude comments she could take. The company she was leading had been less than welcoming when they found out that a woman was to be their guide. They were especially annoyed when they discovered that she didn't open her legs to anyone who gave her compliment.

The sight of her weapons had made them quiet down. She was wearing dark blue traditional warrior robes. Though she preferred a skirt it wasn't very practical when going treasure hunting, so it had to be replaced with trousers. She had a scimitar strapped on her hip and a knife on each ankle. A rope was tied to her belt just in case she needed it and several smaller knives hidden all over her.

"Now what's a little lady like you doing here, huh? Don't expect us to protect you just because you have a pretty face," one of the Americans chuckled when she stepped on the boat that would take them down the Nile. She had forgotten his name, but there was no real difference between them- they were all equally rude.

"I'm not the one you should be worried about protecting. Worry about your own safety, all of you gentlemen, for I may not always be there to watch over you." The look she gave them was cold and she hoped that it would send her message. As long as they were rude they would receive no protection from her, only her guidance.

She and Beni spoke very little, only comparing roads to their destination. Besides that he avoided her, probably out of fear, and she had no desire to speak to him. She often saw him scratching his throat, where she had left a red mark in the shape of her hand. It would sting for some time to come.

They had only been travelling for one night when chaos broke out. Their ship was attacked and set on fire by Medjai warriors. She should only have expected so much. After all, they had protected the secret of this city for thousands of years. With a bit of coaxing she had managed to get them all into the river and onto the shore. Unfortunately, it was the wrong shore, as was pointed out by the American leading the other group who had the same goal as they. What their purpose there was she didn't know, nor did she care. Her job was to get them there safely and collect her reward. Nothing had been said about her leading them home again. If they wanted that they would have to pay her more.

She grabbed the only camel in the group of animals saved and started walking down the river.

"Hey, where're you going?" someone shouted after her.

She answered without stopping. "If we stop now we'll freeze in this cold and with wet clothes on. We need to keep moving. Besides, don't you have a bet to win?"

That got them moving fast. She was glad she'd overheard their conversation. They moved with speed until she found place that didn't have any crocodiles and was shallow enough to wade across with the horses and the camel.

They walked for so long that she lost track of time, but she had no trouble keeping on the path to Hamunaptra. Beni was right about one thing: her people knew the desert better than anyone. She didn't have to have been there before to be able to find the way there.

"Are you sure you can find your way in the dark?" Beni asked sceptically, and a little frightened. "Maybe we should stop and continue in the morning, when there is sunlight."

"Do you doubt my abilities, Beni? If your friends wants to win that bet we have to keep moving until we reach our goal." The fact that it was night made no real difference to her. The fire in her eyes made it possible for her to see in the dark.

"Why do you ride a camel? They smell, and horses are faster." The little weasel man seemed determined to question everything and so find the negative aspect in whatever they did.

"But camels are smarter," she answered smugly, patting her camel's head lovingly. She rode a bit ahead of him so she wouldn't have to listen to his annoying voice anymore.

Before they knew it the sun was coming up, and they were met with not only the sight of the other company, but also Hamunaptra. It was actually more beautiful than she had imagined. The race there was quite fun as well. Shawna wasn't trying very hard, but it was nice to feel the wind in your hair. She slowed down to a walk when she noticed the Medjai soldiers standing on top of a cliff. She lifted her hand up in a greeting, but they did not return the gesture. She thought nothing of it. The Medjai weren't know to be the friendliest of people.

The first day turned out to be more eventful than she had expected. She hadn't been planning on staying after they arrived at their destination, but now her curiosity grew. They had only just descended into the pyramid when they nearly got into a fight with O'Connell and the British siblings, all for something as trivial as a digging location. Right before her companions opened the mysterious chest they found Beni thought it a wise idea to run away straight into the pyramid.

"I'll go get him, make sure he doesn't trigger some sort of death trap," she sighted. She really didn't care whether he lived or died, but if he did set off a trap it might affect the room she was in as well, and Shawna was enjoying being alive, thank you very much.

After she found him she dragged him back up to the surface and he scrambled off to sit with the others. Shawna left to make her own camping place. She didn't know these people and she had no desire to get to know them. She felt like she had stayed to long in this place, even thought it had only been a day. First thing in the morning she would leave, not only because she missed her home, but also because this place was making her feel uneasy. As if she was being watched.

Only minutes after she had gotten her fire going she heard the sound of horses coming closer at a rapid speed. Seconds after that there were gunshots as well. Shawna grunted in frustration. This was not part of what deal, but she didn't really have a choice but to fight and protect her useless employers, if she wanted that reward.

Gripping her scimitar she rushed into battle. It wasn't the most brutal battle scene she had ever seen, but that didn't mean she would fight any less than her best. Several tents were on fire and people were running around screaming, fighting for their lives. The attackers were men dressed from head to toe in pitch black robes, riding their horses hard and swinging their swords at whoever got in the way. The Medjai had arrived to protect their City of the Dead.

Shawna knew very well who they were and what their purpose was. She had no desire to hurt anyone of them. They were brave men with a noble cause and sometimes a few human lives were lost to that cause, but it was a small price to pay in comparison to how many would be lost if they weren't there at all.

She fought with some, but never killed them. She tried to stay on the side line, just watching and sometimes joining the fight to protect those who had promised her money.

"O'Connell!" she heard someone shouting. Turning around she saw that it was one of the men in the other group- the British one- being chased by a man on a horse. Just as she was about to charge him when everything around her froze.

Shawna stood stock-still as she watched everything in her surroundings burst into flames. The people, the tents and the horses caught on fire, even the pyramids and the sand itself. She knew that it was just in her mind and that when she came back to reality it would be as if no time at all had passed. Everything but her was now on fire, and she heard a booming voice from above.

"_Your future has arrived, child of mine. The Medjai chieftain is a part of your destiny, as you are a part of his. Your offspring will be as great as your ancestors of old. The Scorpion King will rise again, and when that time comes, you will not fight for him nor against him, and you will not resist whatever the outcome may be._"

"_Yes, Ra,_" she answered without hesitation. She had learned by now not to question him.

Without another word everything went back to normal. Not a second of time had passed and the man, who she now knew to be the chieftain, was still charging at the doctor. O'Connell jumped off a platform and brought him to the ground. Shawna could not let this opportunity slip away from her.

The chieftain had stood up and pulled out his sword. O'Connell was just about to attack him when Shawna beat him to it. She jumped on his back and made them both tumble down into the sand with a thud. It might have been a childish move, but it was the only one she could think of with such short notice, and it did seem to shock him enough to give her the upper hand.

Shawna pressed his head down in the sand to get him to stay still, but he was too strong for her to hold down. He bucked up like a horse, and she flew off him. He was about to run passed her, but Shawna gripped his ankle and he fell again. This time she straddled his waist. A punch to the jaw made him temporarily disoriented, but he regained his senses quicker than she thought he would. He gripped her hips and flipped them over, Shawna landing on her back. The feel of his weight on top of her wasn't entirely unpleasant. What was unpleasant was the fact that he had pulled a knife when she wasn't looking and was currently getting ready to press it against her throat. Before he did she reached up to yank his hair in a last attempt to get the upper hand once again, but instead she only managed to grab his turban, which she ripped off with a force.

She tried to calm her breathing with the knife pressed to her jugular. It was well sharpened she could tell by the slight sting she felt, which probably meant he had cut her, by accident or if he meant it. Lying still like this she had a chance to get a better look at him, especially now that he wasn't wearing his turban.

The first impression she got of him was that he was handsome. He had a face that radiated of strength and leadership. He had a neatly trimmed beard and deep, dark eyes. His black hair fell in waves around his shoulders and Shawna had the yearning to run her fingers through the soft looking locks. The tattoos on his cheeks and forehead enhanced his strong features, and the fact that they were religious only made it better in her eyes.

"Who are you?" he spoke in Arabic. His voice was a deep rumble that sent shivers down her spine. It reminded her of thunder, or possibly a hundred horses running across the plains and making the ground shake beneath their hooves.

She tried to talk with a clear voice, which proved difficult with the big knife so close to her pulse point. "I am the Sand Woman. Have you ever heard of me?"

His eyes displayed many emotions when she said her name. Thoughtfulness, recognition, realization and suspicion where the most obvious ones. It was only logical for the Medjai to know who she was. The grip on his knife became a little looser when he figured she wasn't fighting against him, but the threat was still in the air.

"What is an Akkadian doing here, with these people?" he demanded.

"What is your name?" She ignored his question completely, as if he'd never asked.

He looked like he was about to answer when a shout interrupted their little moment.

"Hey!" It was the American, O'Connell. He was standing a few paces away with a lit stick of dynamite in his hand. When the chieftain saw it he shouted out to his men to stand down. The fighting immediately ceased. It showed the amount of respect they had for the man. He rose up and she already missed his warmth on top of her.

"Enough! Yallah! We will shed no more blood, but you must leave. Leave this place or die. You have one day. Yallah! Nimshi!" he ordered his men, who immediately mounted up on the remaining horses.

Before he left he lent her a strong hand to help her back up on her feet. He leaned in close so that only she could hear his voice. "My name is Ardeth Bay." Before she could respond he had also gotten up in his saddle and was riding away from her, his men close behind him.

Shawna knew they wouldn't go far. The Medjai guarded Hamunaptra day and night and had done so for thousands of years: they would not give up so easily. Though they may be gone at the moment, they would come back and find another way to drive away the intruders, if not by open battle.


	3. Chapter 3

While Shawna was busy fighting with Ardeth she failed to notice that much of the camp had actually caught on fire- that it didn't just happen in her vision. Many people were also dead, but she didn't know any of them so she had no reason to care. She helped to bury them and said a few prayers over their graves, but she did not grieve for them. She was too busy thinking about the Medjai leader and what Ra had meant about them being a part of each other's destinies. That could mean anything really. And when he said _your_ offspring, did he mean just her or Ardeth as well? And the fact that the Scorpion King would rise from his grave had her both excited and puzzled. And the last of the three big things she had on her mind was her payment. The Americans had promised her a reward and she would get it by any means necessary.

She approached the blonde one of her employers, Mr Henderson she believed.

"Mr Henderson, I would like to discuss the subject of my payment."

The man chuckled. "No offence, sweetheart, but we have a few other things on our mind right now. Like the men who just died and the men who are trying to kill us! You'll get your money once we've find the treasure, but since your part in this is done, I suggest you just stay out of the way for now."

In the blink on an eye her scimitar was out and pointed at his jugular. Everyone around them had stopped what they were doing and watched them. "The Medjai aren't the only one who might kill you. I will have my payment one way or the other, and I really don't care whether it comes from the treasure chamber or your own pocket. As long as it's one of those two options I won't make you pay it in blood. Do what I say and no one will get hurt. And don't ever call me sweetheart again."

He was shaking slightly swallowed hard. He was trying to say something, but it came out in mumbles. He hurried away from her, hopefully to repeat her words to his companions. Hopefully they understood that she was not a patient woman.

She left them to their own device and went to set up her camp. This time she moved it even further away. She rode for about five minutes on her camel until she found a good spot. Of course, in the desert every spot looked the same. She was close enough to the pyramid but at such a distance that she wouldn't have to hear all the noise from the people. There she spent a night, a day and another night before she got what she was waiting for.

It was quite nice once she got the fire going. It was calm and quiet and she had blankets to keep herself warm. It didn't take long until she heard the sound of horse hooves from behind.

"Took you longer than I thought," she said without turning around. She decided to speak Arabic with him, since it was his native tongue.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." She could hear the smile in Ardeth's voice. He sat down on the other side of her fire. His turban was off and she was enjoying the shadows the fires casted on his face. "Will you answer my questions now? We have more time and there is nobody around."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, and help yourself to the food. I'm assuming you don't have time to eat much while out on guard duty."

He nodded gratefully and did as she bid him. She had made a stew of the meagre provisions she had and it didn't taste very good, but he scooped up a large portion and ate it enthusiastically. Shawna couldn't help but to smile at him. She liked a man with a big appetite. When he was finished he put the plate aside and looked up at for the first time since he started eating.

"So, now will you tell me what an Akkadian is doing in this part of the land?"

She put a few more twigs on the fire to keep it going. "I was hired to lead the Americans here. Depending on how much they pay me, I might even lead them back too."

"You know what hides beneath these dunes, no?" he asked firmly.

"What they do here is none of my business. I did this for the money, to provide for my people."

He didn't look so friendly any more. "If Imhotep awakens you will have no people to provide for. He will destroy all those he see as a threat to his power, and that includes you and all other Akkadians. He knows who your ancestor is and he knows the power the Scorpion King once had."

"Then you better stop him quickly, don't you?"

Ardeth look frustrated at her words. "You do not seem to take this seriously. Don't you understand that the world might be coming to an end if the people you led here will find the High Priest?"

"I understand it perfectly, but you must understand that we will not get involved in this unless absolutely necessary. There are not many Akkadians left and we must first of all see to our own needs." Her own mood was now starting to worsen, which was not what she had planned with this meeting.

"How old are you?"

She was surprised. That wasn't the question she had expected next, but answered it anyway. "Younger than I look, but old enough to be called Queen."

She forced herself to calm down and stood up. Ardeth couldn't hide the surprised look on his face as she glided closer to him, her hips swinging in a sultry way, and eventually ended up seated in his lap, her arms around his neck.

"What are you doing?" he almost whispered, the lust in his voice plain for everyone to hear.

"What I've wanted to do since I first saw your face."

Shawna closed the distance between them and placed a searing kiss on his lips. It was like one of her visions: the entire world stopped, except for them. Their lips moved in synchronized movements, as if they had been kissing their whole lives. Like his lips, he was very soft and gentle. While he caressed her waist, she finally got to do what had been in her mind since they met: her fingers quickly became tangled in his jet black hair, which was as soft as his lips. When she tugged it she got a very positive reaction from him. He held her a bit tighter and she felt his tongue on her bottom lip asking for permission to enter her mouth. She happily gave it.

Their tongues danced passionately with each other as the explored the other's mouth. It was wet and hot and neither could get enough. His hand travelled upward, almost on its own accord, and grazed the side of her breast. She gasped when he began placing open mouthed kisses on her neck, gentle licking the mark that his knife had left on her. His hands got bolder and in response to that she let her own go downwards and started massaging the bulge in his trousers through the fabric. He groaned in response. Shawna released heat from her body to put them both more in the mood, which worked going by the sound of approval he made. She was more than ready to go further when a voice sounded through the night, shouting his name.

Ardeth sighted, stopped kissing her but kept his mouth on her bare skin. "I told them to call for me if anything happened down by the city."

"Don't go," she all but whined. "I want you to stay and keep me warm tonight." She nibbled on his ear and caressed his manhood, making him groan again.

"Would that I could, beautiful, but duty calls." He scooted her off his lap, stood up and arranged his clothing back to that of a respectable Medjai chieftain. "You should leave this place, before it is too late. Find someplace safe. I can only hope I will see you again."

"You will," she assured him.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

She twisted a lock of her sand coloured hair around her finger. "The Scorpion King wasn't the only Akkadian who spoke to the gods."

He looked like he wanted to asked more questions, but the voice called for him once again, urging him to hurry. He gave her a last look, a blessing from Allah, and then he was gone as sudden as he had arrived earlier that afternoon.

It wasn't until later when they both realized that she hadn't even given him her name.


	4. Chapter 4

Shawna didn't know what kept her there. By the time morning came she knew that both the treasure hunters and the Medjai were gone, yet she didn't feel like chasing after them. After a few hours of just sitting still, thinking about her next move, she got another vision.

"_Stay where you are. You will get your reward._" The loud voice shook the ground- at least in her head.

"_Yes, Ra._"

So she stayed put. If Ra said her payment would come, then it would. She was very grateful for the small comments the sun god sometimes gave to her. It was more common that he gave her prophecies that she had a very hard time deciphering, so simple requests like these were always welcome. She trusted him to guide her in whatever he saw necessary, and so far he hadn't failed.

There was a surprisingly large amount of activity going on in Hamunaptra today. By the looks of it Imhotep really had come back to life. Over a night he had left the city and come back in a cloud of sand. By midday there were more visitors: Ardeth, O'Connell and the Carnahan brother. Shawna crept a bit closer to get a better look at the outcome of it all.

She saw the person she was least expecting rushing out of the pyramid. In his arms Beni was carrying a vast amount of gold. He strapped it to the back of a camel and ran back into the depths, presumably to get more treasure. That was stupid of him. If Shawna were in his place she would have just settled with what she got the first time and ridden off, which is exactly what she did.

Here was the reward that both her employers and Ra had promised her. Without worrying about being seen, she took the gold and strapped it to the back of her own camel. When she was a good distance away from the cursed place she heard a rumble. Looking back she saw that the city was falling apart. It literary sank down into the ground and disappeared from sight, and all that remain was a cloud of sand and a few stone pillars lying scattered about.

For a moment she worried about the Medjai chieftain and whether he was alright, but then she saw him in the form of a speck in the distance. He was riding his camel in the opposite direction of her, most likely heading back to his tribe. He sat a bit hunched over in his saddle, as if injured, but she had no doubt that he would be alright, the warrior that he was.

As if feeling her eyes on his back, he stopped his mount and turned it around. When he saw her he raised his arm in a farewell gesture. She returned it, although knowing that this would not be the last time they saw each other.

Hamunaptra was gone, buried beneath the sand, but the promise of a reunion remained. With a smile on her face and hope in her heart she left the City of the Dead behind, riding off over the dunes, relishing the warmth of the setting sun on her face.

One last vision came to her that day.

"_You will meet again, my child._"

"_Yes, Ra._"

And she knew that it was the truth.


End file.
